Linda.Iverson@f10.n130.z1.fidonet.org (Linda Iverson) (11/28/90)
Index Number: 12005
[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]
James, in my opinion, I'd say there is a parallel between ASL and braille.
Both are for communication. Braille was invented by Louis Braille,
blind himself while just a teenager and student at the school for the
blind in Paris. ASL has French roots. There had always been attempts
to teach the blind to read, but the thought of a new system hadn't
occurred to anyone. Methods of making print accessible via touch were
always tried. Braille came along, and invented a whole new system,
and the students loved it! Teachers, or some of them didn't. Well,
it flourished, nonetheless. Even today though some teachers will encourage
a child to read large print if they have any vision even though this
means eye strain, practically sticking your nose in the book, and it
isn't always possible to carry around magnifiers. A friend told me
once about a teacher who said, "Now this little girl *can* read print,
but this little girl *has* to read braille!" Perhaps the braille reader
read twice as fast and was a much better student, but still and all
print is the "norm". Often teachers and parents know eventually a
child may lose his usable vision, but he's still not taught braille
and eventually can't read anything. Sometimes kids are taught typing
and computer skills but no braille. I know a blind high school boy
who does his homework in braille and his resource teacher types it.
I didn't have teachers like that! I was taught to type when I was
in the third grade and my classmates were taught how to write cursive.
I did all my homework on the typewriter. I couldn't do it now, but
I even did my math on the typewriter--a manual one! I just knew how
many lines to roll up and down the page. But it served me well. I
not only typed my own term papers in collewge, but did typing for other
students, and was paid!
I believe children with disabilities should learn as many skills as
they can. I need good braille skills for myself and to communicate
with my blind friends, but I need to type to write letters to the "braille
handicapped" as a friend calls those who don't read braille, and of
course, to participate in bulletin boards! I probably could manage
with just one skill or the other, but with both I know more opportunities
are open to me. Parents and teachers need to realize these children
will grow up and won't always have family members to do everything
for them. There will always be people who don't accept your disability,
so in my opinion, the more we can do the more people will know we may
use different techniques, but they aren't necessarily inferior. As
a blind person, I may have to ask for assistance now and then, but
if I have self-confidence I can do it politely, but still indicate
I know what I'm asking and I am in charge! For example, some readers
I've had will, when reading my mail, say, "Well, this is from So and
So and it's about Such and Such". I'll say, "No, I don't need it explained;
I can understand it. I just can't read it". I believe cultivating
these skills will give the disabled child confidence, and that confidence
can make that child a happier person, and in turn a person people don't
mind helping.
Take care!
Linda
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